Mine
by unspokenlies
Summary: Dallas Winston and Lexi Davenport have been best friends since they were little, but what happens when they suddenly fall for each other? Will they be able to get their friendship back, or are they destined to be together? Pre-book. CHAPTER 10 NOW UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Yeah, so, I really felt like writing a Dallas Winston fic. So here's the first chapter. I don't know if I'll continue, but at the moment I like this one better than my Ponyboy story. Lol. Okayyyy, Please _review. _That's all I'm asking. Pre-book. I'm still trying to decide if I should tie it in with the story. I might, just to make it interesting. ;] Don't hate.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Outsiders_, but I own Lexi Davenport and some others. :)

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**Chapter 1**

"Lex, come on. If you ain't goin' I'll go by myself." My best friend, Dallas Winston, was trying to get me to go drinking with him on a Saturday night. We used to do it all the time back in New York, and when we came to Tulsa, we tried to keep the tradition going.

"Can't we just skip it tonight? I don't wanna go." I was mostly tired, and I knew that Dally couldn't go out without getting into a fight. He had nothing to lose.

Dally finally sighed and grabbed my arm, dragging me off Buck Merril's couch. Of course, there was a party going on, and no one paid any attention to me. Well, except for the guys that tried to get me to sleep with them

"Fine, fine," I said as he pulled me out the door, and I twisted out from his grip. We walked down the steps and across the street, where we would stay along the sidewalk until we found a good enough bar.

"Hey, greaser!" I heard some Socs yell at Dally. I wasn't really classified as a greaser. Two-Bit Mathews said I was a 'Middle Classer', whatever that meant. All I knew was that Socs picked on greasers, and greasers fought back. The soc getting out of the car first was Eric Benson, a kid from my English class. He seemed like the leader of his little pack, because a bunch of loser guys followed him.

"Let's go, Dal." I tried to pull on Dally's arm, but he stayed put. He mostly stayed for the fight, but I knew that it bugged him a little when people called him a greaser; even though he never showed it. Dally rarely ever showed any emotion, and I was used to that by now.

"Lexi Davenport, why do you walk around with such trash?" Eric sneered, walking towards me.

I would've yelled at him if Dally hadn't squeezed my arm. I didn't say anything. Eric sighed, then turned a little and whispered something to two of his followers.

Suddenly, the two guys that Eric had been talking to jumped towards Dally and started throwing punches. Eric and his other two followers came towards me, and I backed up. I was never good at fighting, and everyone knew that. They pinned me to the ground and I could feel Eric unbuttoning my jeans. I tried to fight back, attempting to kick him in the crotch. Then he kissed me, and I got him away from me by biting on his lip. Dally seemed to come in then, because he ripped Eric off of me and punched the other two. Eric was on the ground a few feet away and I glared at him. I quickly got up and grabbed my jeans, running off to the other side of the road. I pulled my jeans on over my black converse, and pulled down my blue tank top. For the middle of May, the weather was unexpectedly cold. I spit on the ground to try and get the taste of Eric's lips out of my mouth, and watched Dally. After a few minutes, he decided he was done and came over to me.

"You okay?" He asked me as we started walking.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's with you? You love fights." Dally was acting strange.

"Not those kinda fights." He mumbled. I've known Dally since we were eleven years-old, and over six years you start to notice a lot about your best friend. I could read him easier than anyone, and sometimes he hated it. My older brother, Rex, used to beat Dally up a lot when we were little; but he didn't know we were best friends then.

We didn't talk much after that. When we found one of our favorite bars: Rusty's, we went in and got a few drinks. Dally and I didn't like to stay sober.

"Lexi! Dally!" I turned around and saw the blurred image of Two-Bit walking towards us.

"Twoooo-Bitttttt," I said when he came closer. I leaned my head on his shoulder and grinned.

"'Ey, man," Dally said, patting him on the back. "We're just about leavin', but I'm sure Chuck o'er here will give ya' a drink."

I giggled at Dally as he slurred over his words. Suddenly I couldn't feel Two-Bit's shoulder under me and I stood up, steadying myself. Dally took my hand and pulled my out of Rusty's, and I giggled all the way home.

When we got inside, Rex wasn't home. I wasn't shocked; Rex was always out with his latest girlfriend, sleeping at her house.

Dally lead me to my bedroom and my vision got a little blurry, but I kept on giggling. I did that a lot when I was drunk.

xxxxx

When I woke up, I wasn't surprised to find Dally and I lying naked in my bed. I couldn't really control myself when I was drunk, and it had happened before. I had a massive headache, and as I tried to sit up, I swore.

"Fucking hangover…" I mumbled to myself, rubbing my forehead and pushing my brown hair out of my face. My hair wasn't that long, just down the shoulders. It was thin and had a few streaks of red in it. I thought of it as the best part of my body.

I got up and walked across the room, looking in the mirror. My poop-brown eyes were bloodshot, and I had small bags under them. _Not bad,_ I thought to myself.

"Huh?" I heard Dally start to stir from the bed. He finally sat up and stared at me, giving me a small crooked smile.

"Don't even say anything," I said, laughing as he gave me a once-over.

I walked back over to bed and got myself comfortable under the covers. I wanted to sleep some more, because my head was killing me. Plus, I needed to go to school the next day. I snuggled myself under Dally's arm, and he pulled me close. He was really overprotective with me. Johnny Cade and I were always under his wing.

"You know, everyone always thinks we're together because we do this type of stuff," I mumbled.

I was drifting off to sleep, so all I heard from Dally was, "I don't see why we…" and then I was out like a light-bulb.

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**Please _review. _I'm counting on you guys, |:**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **This chapter came out longer than I thought it would....I'm trying to keep these chapters shorter compared to the _My Outsiders_ ones. Hope you like it...

**DISCLAIMERDISCLAIMERDISLMACISH. I cannot spell discliamer disclaimer for my life. **

**Chapter 2**

When I woke up, it was dark. I couldn't tell what time it was, but Dally was fast asleep right next to me.

"Dally," I started shaking him a little. "Dal, wake up."

Dally groaned as he shifted around, then finally opened his eyes and looked at me. "What?"

"We slept through the whole day," I said, rubbing my eyes. Just at that moment, Rex busted open the door.

"Lexi, I'm leaving and I'll…" He spotted Dally next to me and stopped talking.

"Yeah, yeah, just leave." I said, throwing a pillow at him as he shut the door and left.

I rolled onto my stomach and rested my head on Dally's chest. "What do you wanna do now?" Dally asked. I yawned.

"I'unno. Let's go out and have some fun," I said, quickly standing up from the bed, then making my way to my closet.

Dally stood up and started pulling on his clothes from last night. "And what do you think we're gunna do in this boring town?"

"There's always something to do when we're together. Let's go start a riot." I pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, eyeing Dally. He was grinning at me.

"You ain't predictable, Lex."

"It's how I was raised," I replied, opening one of my drawers and pulling out some money. I threw it at Dally and he stuffed it in his pocket.

xxxxx

Dally and I went to the Nightly Double Drive-in, and saw that it was full of people. Exchanging grins, we snuck under the fence and walked all the way up to the front of all the cars. As we crouched down behind an empty red mustang, I turned to Dally.

"'Kay, we can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way," I suggested.

"Hard way." Dally said immediately, and I grinned at him. The hard way was always my favorite.

I pulled off my jeans and shirt and held them in my hand. In my black bra and underwear, I jumped up on top of the red mustang and started screaming and waving my clothes around. I jumped from hood to hood, occasionally kicking a guy in the head and causing him to punch the guy next to him. I turned to see Dally right behind me, wearing only his boxers. The _easy _way would've been boring. We would've just started fighting. I knew that deep down; Dally liked getting half naked and bouncing off cars.

I giggled and made my way across the whole lot, security guards right behind me. When I got to the very last car and hopped off, I turned to see what we had created. Dally hopped down right next to me. Everyone was fighting and punching, as the girls watched and either complained or looked engrossed. I laughed and suddenly saw the police, dropping to the ground and taking Dally with me.

"Wha-?" He said, then I shushed him and he saw the fuzz.

Dally took my hand and dragged me out of there, pulling us onto the road and ran. I ran after him, catching up pretty quick. I pulled on my shirt as I ran, but I kept my jeans in hand because it would've been hard to pull them over my converse.

Finally, we stopped outside a crop of houses, laughing our asses off and sitting on the curb.

"Nice job," I said to Dally, smirking at him. He gave me a sideways smile, one that showed he was proud of his work.

Then I saw the police cars turning onto the street, and pulled Dally behind some bushes. "Let's go to Pony's house," I whispered, pulling on my jeans carefully and standing up. I was on the lookout as I walked, but it seemed that the police had taken another turn.

"You know what? We've always made a good team." Dally said, draping his arm over my shoulder as I leaned into him. When we conquered the long walk to The Curtis residence, I slipped out of his arm and ran to the door.

When I got inside, Dally was right behind me and he was laughing. I glanced around the living room to see Ponyboy reading _Gone with the Wind_, and Darry and Soda sitting at the kitchen table. Two-Bit was there too, snoring away on the couch.

"Hey guys," I said, and Two-Bit snorted as he woke up. For the first time, I realized that he had a cut on his right cheek. Two-Bit scanned over me and Dally, then grinned.

"I was wondering who those two idiots were at the Nightly Double were," He said, and I laughed. He must've been there.

"Two-Bit," I said, sitting on the couch next to him and leaning back. "You can read me so well."

"I try," He replied, giving me a 'seducing' look. I just laughed at him and turned around to Sodapop and Darry.

"What are you two doing in there?" I asked. Sodapop was bent over a piece of paper and Darry was at the stove.

"Makin' dinner." Darry mumbled, and Sodapop looked at me as if he just noticed I was there.

"Hiya, Lex!" He said excitedly, and I smiled at him.

I glanced back at Dally and rolled my eyes. Sometime's Sodapop was _way _too happy.

xxxxx

The next day, I went to school. Dally didn't go to school because he simply said it wasn't for him. I had one more year, and I wanted to _at least_ graduate high school. I sat in the back of the room in my first period English class, right next to a Soc named Dale.

Dale always tried to flirt with me to take me out, and I sometimes I would play along. Today, he tried yet again to pick me up, and I laughed.

"Hey, babe. How about we go to the drive in later?" He said to me, staring at me boobs. I laughed and reached over at his face, pinching his cheeks.

"Sorry Daley. I've got other plans, dollface." I giggled and situated myself back in my seat. Whenever I rejected him, he slumped at his desk and stared directly at the bored. Sometimes I felt bad for the kid. Not too often, though.

After the bell rang, I gathered my books and disappeared into the crowded halls. The rest of my classes went by smoothly, considering nobody else had bothered me.

Until lunch.

I sat at a table with Ponyboy, staring at my lunch tray aimlessly. I usually didn't eat.

"Something wrong, Lexi?" Ponyboy asked. Sometimes he was one of the few that actually cared.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be right back, 'kay?" He nodded at me and I scurried out of the lunch room. I walked down the halls that I thought were empty, and someone grabbed me.

I froze and stared ahead, until I was pushed into a locker. I turned to see one of Dale's 'big tough guy' friends.

"Huh?" I said, looking at him. I didn't know his name. "What do you want?"

The boy raised an eyebrow at me. "You gotta stop hurtin' Dale. All he wants is to go out with you. An' he's like a little brother to me, so you better watch it.

I rolled my eyes. "What the hell? All Dale ever does is stare at my boobs and hit on me!" I shoved the guy out of my way and walked down the hall. He must've followed me, because I could hear footsteps as I slid into the girl's bathroom.

I stared at myself in the mirror for a few minutes, and then went into the first stall on the left. The inside of that stall was covered in writing. When I stepped inside, I stared at the wall for a second. When I spotted "_Alexis Davenport is a slut!_" I searched around my surroundings for a marker. Usually girls left markers in there because they wanted more people to write in there. I finally found a gold one, and crossed out "Alexis" and wrote "Lexi". I didn't care if my name was up there; I just cared if it said Alexis. I hated when people called me by my full name.

After I was done, I threw the marker on the ground and unlocked the stall. I went out of the girl's bathroom and saw Dale's friend waiting for me.

"I'm sorry, what was your name again?" I asked, trying to be casual.

"Name's Tony," He said, stepping towards me as I stepped back. I didn't like being alone with a guy that didn't necessarily didn't like me. Too many bad things could happen.

I glanced behind Tony to look down the hall and saw no one; not even the janitor, who practically lived at school.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't get past Tony's large build. "What do you want?" I asked, raising and eyebrow and crossing my arms.

"Let Dale take you out," He said forcefully, like he was demanding I did so.

"Look, bud, if I thought Dale actually liked me then I would've gone out with him already. Alright?" I gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked away. I should almost feel his eyes boring into the back of my head as he watched me walk back to the cafeteria. When I came back to the lunch room, Ponyboy was gone. He never liked staying at school during lunch. I decided to ditch for the rest of the day, because I didn't feel like being around there anymore.

When I got home, Rex wasn't home. That wasn't strange though, because during the day he was wrapped up in his work at the DX with Sodapop and Steve. I didn't want to go over there, though, so I changed into a pair of shorts and another T-shirt and left the house. I went over to Buck Merril's house, hoping to find Dally. He was almost always there. I opened the door and walked right in, glancing around the room.

"Hey, Buck," I said as I wandered past him and plopped onto the empty couch. All around me people were either drinking, smoking, dancing, or making out. I rolled my eyes at the couple sitting in front of me.

Buck grunted something in response, but I didn't quite hear him. I picked up a horse magazine from his so called "coffee table" and started flipping through it. "You seen Dally?" I asked, looking up from the pictures to see his response. He shook his head. I swore and stood up from the couch and started skulking out. "That's all."

I got onto the street once again, instantly running into a burly man that looked like he was about in his 40s. He looked me over, smirking.

"Well, lookie here Bill! It's that broad that started the rumble last night," I gave him a disgusted look. His friend, Bill, approached me with a creepy smile and I stepped back.

"Um, do you need something?" I asked, chewing on my bottom lip and backing away some more, leaving more and more room between us.

"Yeah, in fact we do. We need you to pay." The one who I still didn't know closed the gap between us. I stood frozen, scared. "Our friend is in the hospital because of you. You and your stupid entertainment. You kids need to learn how to calm down."

I backed up even more, but he followed. "Uh, what did you say your name was again?" I asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"That ain't important," He mumbled, pulling a switchblade out of his pocket and fumbling with it. I was close to breaking out in a run.

He could tell that I was scared, and weak. I could tell that the man had no intentions of killing me, so I sighed with relief silently. He was still coming towards me though, and I held my breath. Finally, he punched me to the ground and I started bleeding. In an instant, I stood up and started running; realizing too late that they would never catch up to me. When I glanced over my shoulder, they were walking back to their car.

"_Shit._" I swore, picking up my pace. I hadn't thought they had a car. I ran past Dally, who gave me a questioning look. Soon enough he was following me at walking pace, until he saw Bill and the other guy in their car, pointing a gun at me. _These are not nice people,_ I thought to myself.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 3**

At the exact moment I heard gunshots, I was yanked into an alleyway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dally's harsh tone filled the empty silence.

"Hey, it's not like I chose to be runnin' from people that want me dead."

"Why do they want you dead?"

"I'unno. Something 'bout the riot the other day."

Dally just gave me a weird look and went silent. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, his face never changing. It was like he had one expression set in stone. I stared at him for a while, and then walked to the edge of the alleyway to see that no one was in sight. I turned back to Dally, who was running his hand through his hair and watching me.

"What happened to your ring?" I asked, noticing that the ring Dally always wore was gone.

He looked down at his hand. "Oh, I gave it to this girl I'm goin' with. Her name's Sylvia," I grimaced a little.

"That's nice, I guess," I said, glancing over at his hand one more time. "Well, I'm leaving."

"Don't get shot," Dally muttered at me and then we walked in separate directions.

I walked aimlessly for about half an hour, and then found myself at the Dingo. I knew there would be something to do there. When I got there, I saw Two-Bit and walked over to him.

"Lexi!" Two-Bit called as soon as he saw me.

I smiled and approached, spotting Dally right next to him in the booth. Dally had his arm around some girl I figured was Sylvia, and she was drinking a beer.

Two-Bit handed me a coke with a red straw and I leaned back in the booth, sipping silently. I always felt awkward around Dally's girlfriends, because I'd slept with Dally more than any of them had.

Suddenly, a girl in the sluttiest outfit I'd ever seen walked up to our table and glared at Dally. I smirked a little; I always loved drama.

"Dallas! Who is this? We've only been together for a day and you're already two-timin' me!" She pulled off Dally's ring and threw it at him; and Dally sat up straight to catch it. The girl that was under his arm before got mad and ran off too, and Two-Bit was laughing.

I couldn't help but laugh, too.

"Dal, you can be so stupid sometimes," I s aid, throwing my straw at him.

He didn't look mad. He looked as if he knew she would come back. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

Dally turned to me and said. "Let's leave," and I shrugged and stood up.

We left Two-Bit, who claimed that his girlfriend was showing up soon, and Dally walked to my house with me. The whole walk was pretty much silent, except for a few words here or there.

I opened the front door to find the house empty once again, Rex nowhere to be found. I shook it off, turning to say bye to Dally.

"'Key. Thanks. Bye," I said awkwardly, and Dally just leaned in and kissed me. At first I was surprised, and then Dally started reaching for my shirt. I placed my hand over his to stop him, and broke the kiss.

"You have a girlfriend," I whispered, then added; "Kind of."

I pulled away completely and fixed my shirt. Dally's cold eyes watched me and I stared back. It was funny how he always thought I would just melt whenever he stared at me like that.

"Go make up with your girlfriend or something," I mumbled, pushing him out the door slowly.

"Lexi," Dally said finally as I just about closed the door on him. He had a smirk on his face. "Are you _jealous?_"

"No. I'm not," I knew I was lying to myself in a way, but I didn't show it. I closed the door on him without a word, but I could tell he was still outside. So right before I went to bed, I unlocked the door.

xxxxx

In the middle of the night, I heard a knocking on my window. Drowsily, I opened my eyes to see the two men from earlier staring at me with a gun in their hands.

I screamed, and instantly felt arms tighten around my stomach. I frantically turned around and saw Dally sleepily lying next to me with his shirt off. He looked past me and to the window, and then tensed. He got up and stood in front of me and I rolled off the bed and slid under it. It was the best I could go; I was scared.

Then I heard glass break, and all I could think of was _You couldn't use the door?_ but I stayed quiet. I could hear Dally fighting them off supposedly, and then he said something to them. I couldn't hear them very well, because I was still under the bed. After a few minutes it got very quiet, and I heard Dally's voice.

"You can come out now. They're gone."

I climbed out from under the bed and saw the window broken and a bunch of broken glass surrounding it. Dally was standing by the window, looking tired. I shook and sat on the bed.

"Looks like you've got a few followers," Dally joked, trying to cheer me up. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Fine, I guess I'll leave now," He said, grabbing his shirt off the bedside table.

"No! You can't," I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him onto the bed.

He thought about it for a moment. "Fine," He laid down next to me and I felt much better.

"Goodnight," Dally said to me, sighing.

I turned and lay on top of him, bringing his lips to mine. I wanted to make sure he didn't leave in the middle of the night.

Dally rolled over so that he was on top of me, and started to pull off my shirt and shorts. I let him, but when he started unclipping my bra, I stopped him.

"Take it easy," I whispered, eyes closed. "Not tonight."

Dally settled with that and wrapped his arms around my middle, then fell asleep. I fell asleep too, knowing he wouldn't leave now.

xxxxx

I woke up early the next morning, while Dally was still asleep . I had to get to school.

I arrived late, but my teacher shrugged it off. He didn't care. When I sat down and pretty much fell asleep to a lecture about Shakespeare, the class seemed to end quicker than usual. I was glad when I finally got out into the halls and made my way to second period.

The rest of my classes went by smoothly, but during the transition of fourth period to lunch, I ran into Dally. He was holding my green back, and it looked like it was full of clothes.

"Dally? What are you doing here?"

"Hush,"

"What?"

Dally grabbed my arm and dragged me outside, to the parking lot. There, I saw Two-bit sitting in his car waiting.

"What's going o-"

"Here." Dally glanced over his shoulder and handed me a piece of paper. I looked at it and saw that it was a plane ticket to California.

"What the hell?" I asked, looking over the ticket. "Why?"

"Because you've got two guys that want you dead and I don't wanna take any chances." He gave the bag to Two-Bit and opened the car door. "Two-Bit is goin' with you. I packed you some clothes. I'll be there in a few days."

"What? Dally, you know I can handle it; and I'm leaving without you."

"No, You can't handle it. I'll be there in a few days, alright?" His tone was harsh and reluctantly got in the car. I remembered Rex, but just forgot about him because he wouldn't care.

Dally leaned in the car window and took my hand, putting something in it and then said his goodbyes, letting Two-Bit drive away to the airport. When I looked at what he'd given me, I saw the ring.

**UH, review. Thankssss.**


	4. Chapter 4

Blah, finallyy. A new chapter! -dances.

It's not that great, but it'll do. I'll already apologize in advance for any typos/mistakes. I'm so tired right now, I don't feel like going back and proofreading. I might be looking for a beta. Anyone interested? PM me.

Now, on with the chappttterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders. Disapointed, right? No, you're probably not. I know you wish you owned The Outsiders too.

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**Chapter 4**

As we approached the airport, I stared at the ring in my hands.

"What'cha got there?" Two-bit asked, glancing over at my hands.

"Nothing," I mumbled, closing my hand around the ring. "Hey, Two-Bit?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know how Dally afforded these plane tickets? He doesn't even have a job." I asked, twirling a strand of hair around my finger.

"Well lotsa things, I reckon. He probably gambled; he always had the best luck."

I nodded slowly, staring at all the people as we pulled up to the airport. They were running in and out of the doors, as if their lives were just one big rush. I got out of the car clutching my bag and looked around. No one noticed me.

Two-Bit gave the car keys to some man, and let me inside. He looked like he knew what he was doing, and I didn't interrupt. After an hour of waiting, we finally got to board our plane.

"You seem awfully quiet," Two-Bit commented, strapping himself in and watched me. I sat in my seat, still clutching my bag and chewing on my bottom lip. I stared directly at the seat in front of me, then at the plane door. There was still time to get out.

"Two-bit, I don't want to do this. I'm leaving. Right now," I said, still chewing on my bottom lip as I got up.

"What? No! You afraid of heights or somethin'?" He quickly unbuckled himself and followed me as I made a mad dash to the door.

"Um, miss!" A flight attendant called, motioning for me to come back.

"Sorry, wrong flight," I responded, and she shut the doors. Two-bit was staring at me angrily.

I didn't say anything and walked away, through the terminal. When we got to the doors, Two-Bit grabbed my arm and looked me in the eye.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, looking around in case anyone was watching.

"I'll tell you later, get the car." I said, hoping he would forget. Two-Bit just sighed and went to some man wearing a uniform and gave him a ticket.

In about 10 minutes, our car was here and I got in silently. Two-Bit got into the driver's seat and pulled onto the freeway, holding onto the steering wheel tightly.

"Tell me why, now."

I scrunched my nose. I was used to people being stern with me, mostly because I was so stubborn. "We don't need to go to stupid California. I'm fine here. Dally's just crazy."

"Dally will kill me," He mumbled, glancing over at me again.

I put Dally's ring in my pocket. I wasn't going to wear it. He and I were just friends.

xxxxx

When we got to my house, Two-Bit only dropped me off and then drove off. I came inside quickly, stowing my bag in my closet and taking the ring out of my pocket. With a slight idea of where Dally was, I headed over to Buck's.

When I got there, Buck answered the door with a smirk. "Here to see me?" He asked, staggering around like his drunken self.

"No. Where's Dally?" I asked, picking up a beer off the table and shoving it into his hands.

"Upstairs," He mumbled, chugging down the beer.

I rolled my eyes and headed up the stairs, walking straight into the room Dally always slept in. To my surprise, I found me lying in bed with Sylvia, the tramp he was "dating" the other day. Dally turned around and stared at me with wide eyes. I glared at him, throwing the ring at him and walking out the door.

"Lexi," I heard him call, causing Sylvia to roll over and mumble, "Who's that?"

I was at the top of the staircase when Dally grabbed my arm and turned me around.

"Dally—what the hell?! Put some clothes on!" I exclaimed. He was completely nude.

"Why are you still here? I thought you left with Two-Bit!"

"Yeah? Well I don't always do what I'm told." I said, squirming out of his grip and heading down the stairs.

"Wait—wait!" I heard him say, running into his room to get some clothes on.

I went down the stairs as fast as I could, hoping to leave before he could catch me. I ran out the door, past a dazed Buck Merril, and out onto the street.

I looked around, finding Buck's car parked across the street and heading towards it. At that exact moment, Dally ran out the door fully clothed.

"Lexi, wait! Come back here right now!"

I ignored him and walked towards the convertible. The keys were already inside, so I reached for the door. Dally was walking towards me barefoot.

He would've gotten to me, but then everything changed. As I pulled the handle on the door, the car _exploded. _I flew backwards, landing on the stairs leading to Buck's doorway. Dally landed not too far away from me, because I could hear him coughing somewhere near me. I heard people running outside to see what had happened, and all the gasps around me. I couldn't see anything, though. I couldn't seem to open my eyes at all.

"Lexi? Lexi!" I heard Dally's voice in my ear. He must've been okay, since he got up and was now at my side. I felt a strong pain in my neck; I must've landed on a stair.

I heard the sound of ambulances and fire trucks, and instantly opened my eyes.

"Dally," I said, though my voice was barely audible, he could hear me. "Get me outta here. I don't want to go to the hospital."

Dally seemed to have debated over that, but then finally he got Buck to help him carry me to the side of the house and laid me down on a worn down mattress.

"Buck – go call Two-Bit and tell him to come pick us up. Now," Dally ordered, sitting next to me.

I glanced at Dally. His face was covered in ashes. Quite frankly, I was surprised I wasn't dead yet. I was so close to the explosion, and all it did was send me ricocheting backwards. I coughed, feeling a sharp pain in my ribs.

"You okay?"

"Mhhm," I managed to say, slowly closing my eyes.

"No, no, don't close your eyes Lexi. Two-bit is here, we're taking you to Darry. He'll know what to do," Dally sounded worried, and that made me smile.

He picked me up, groaning at his own pains, and quickly carrying me to the car. He laid me down on the backseat and climbed into the shotgun. Two-Bit started driving immediately.

"Whoa, Dal, she looks bad." Two-Bit commented, speeding up a little.

My eyes were closed now, but I could hear everything.

"She'll be fine."

"As long as she don't get all the blood on my seats."

I instantly opened my eyes and looked myself over. I had blood everywhere. My shirt was stained red, and there were cuts and bruises all along my arms and legs.

The next thing I knew, I was passed out.

xxxxx

When I finally opened my eyes again, I saw Dally and Sodapop standing over me. Sodapop was attempting to clean up all the blood with one first aid kit, and Dally was staring at me with his always cold eyes.

"Ouch," I said as Sodapop poured rubbing alcohol on one of my cuts.

"Sorry," He mumbled, continuing to disinfect. "Didn't realize you woke up."

"Where's Darry?" Darry was always the one who would take care of this stuff.

"He's working late tonight. He don't know what happened yet, so hush." Sodapop said, pulling out some band-aids. I glanced down at my legs, only to see that they were covered in band-aids of all different colors. I laughed.

"I look like a rainbow."

Sodapop cracked a smile. "It's better than bleeding all over the place."

We both chuckled a little, and I looked up at Dally. He looked lost in thought, staring at the wall. "Dal, don't hurt yourself," I teased, causing him to look at me. "I'm fine. No big deal."

"No big deal?" He said, raising his voice. "Really? Buck's car exploded and you look like this, and all you can say is that you're _fine?_ You know who did this, Lexi. We're not just dealin' with some assholes that lost a friend. We're dealin' with sick people. Ones who won't stop until they're satisfied; and we don't know when that will be."

I thought about what he said. He had a point. This wasn't just a little chase anymore. It was much bigger than that. Either that, or Dally could be wrong. Maybe they're just really upset.

"Maybe they're just really upset," I said dumbly, repeating my own thoughts. Sodapop glanced up at me with raised eyebrows, but stayed out of it.

"Yeah, sure." Dally snorted, pacing the room.

"Dally; take your attitude somewhere else. I'm too tired right now," I said, and Dally sat down on the other couch quickly.

"No. I'm staying."

"You really should go. Maybe that tramp you left naked in bed will actually see you again," I said, smirking. Sodapop laughed, causing me to laugh, too.

"Sylvia. Her name's _Sylvia. _You know what? Maybe I will." He got up at stocked out the door. I smirked at him, watching him slam the door behind him.

"Don't be so mean to him," Sodapop commented, putting the last band-aid on my knee. I sat up, rubbing my neck. It was sore as hell, but I didn't want Soda to put me in a neck brace or anything.

"He can take it. He's a big boy."

Sodapop smiled at me, putting the first aid kit away.

"I'm surprised you boys even have a first aid," I commented.

"Hey," Sodapop smirked. "We surprise people a lot."

"I'll bet."

Sodapop nodded. "Well, I have to go see Sandy in half an hour. You'll be alright by yourself?"

I nodded. "Yep. I'm fine."

"Okay then, I'm leaving now." He stood up and pulled up his jeans. "See ya."

"Mhhm," I mumbled back.

When Sodapop left, I managed to get myself to stand up, hoping to go sit on the couch on the porch. When I got to the porch, I began to rub my neck again.

"What's wrong with your neck?"

I jumped. Glancing over at the couch, I saw Dally taking a smoke.

"Shit," I took a step back. "You scared me! I thought you left."

"I had somethin' to tell you," Dally said, staring me straight in the eye. This time it wasn't one of his cold, icy stares. It was softer.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Excuse spelling mistakes, no time to proofread today.**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own The Outsiders D:

**Chapter 5**

"What?" I asked, leaning against the wall with my arms crossed. At that moment I wished that Sodapop was still there.

"C'mon, Lex. You're my best friend. Why the hell are you acting like I'm a fucking piece of trash?" Dally said. My glare turned into a blank stare. Why was I acting like that? Sometimes I didn't even know. Dallas Winston had been my best friend since we were little kids, and I wasn't going to throw away that friendship because of the girls he dated.

"I'm not acting like that," I retorted. Dallas glanced up at me, then back at his feet. Lexi walked over to the couch and sat down next to him. "I don't understand why you were trying to ship me off to California."

Dallas sighed. "I care about you, and I don't want you to get hurt." He said. Dallas always acted different around me. He wasn't always the guy people saw him as. Under all the tough exterior, he cared about those close to him.

"I can take care of myself, you know that Dallas." I bit my bottom lip and looked over Dally. He wasn't wearing his ring; He must've given it to Sylvia. "You back together with Sylvia?"

"Yeah," Dally said, looking straight ahead and tossing his burnt out cigarette into the plants in front of us.

"Cool." I said, standing up and walking down the steps of the porch. "Well, I gotta get going. Meeting Steve down at the DX."

"Alright. I'm leaving too." He said, not moving. "Hey, Lexi?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning around.

"You're a cool cat." He replied, grinning. I couldn't help but smile at the saying we made up when we were in 4th grade.

"You're a cooler one." I said, walking out the front gate and down the street.

xxxxx

When I got to the DX, I saw Steve sitting behind the counter in the shop.

"Hey Stevie," I said, walking through the door and plopping onto a chair near the window. Steve Randle and I had been friends ever since Dally and I moved to Tulsa. Sodapop, too. The three of us got along really well, and they both had my back.

Steve glanced up from whatever paperwork he was filling out, and smiled. "What's up, Lex?"

I sighed, leaning back and putting my feet up on the chair next to me. "Nothing. Just bored. Got into a little accident earlier."

"Yeah? What happened?" He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, noticing the colorful band-aids all along my arms and legs. I laughed.

"Buck's car blew up on me and Dallas," I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

Steve sat up straight. "Are you alright?" This time he looked at me even closer, to see if I was in any real pain.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure, Steve." I said, glancing around the room. "Hey…is Rex here?"

"Nope. I haven't seen him since yesterday morning," Steve replied, and I frowned.

At that moment, the bell attached to the door rang and two men walked in. I ignored them, peeling off one of my band-aids to see if anything was bleeding.

"Hello sir," Steve said, standing up to greet them. "What can I do you for?"

"Our car's in a little fix. Not sure what's wrong with it. Can you check it out?" a man with a gruff voice said. I froze. Recognizing the voice, I turned around to see the two men who had been after me since the riot. They didn't look at me, probably didn't notice at first.

When I tried getting up to go to the garage, one of them spoke up. "Hey, look who it is," Bill, I recognized, said to his friend. They grinned at me menacingly and Steve looked up. He went and stood in front of me as I backed up.

"Let's go see what's wrong with your car, sir." He said, steering them outside.

The one whose name I didn't know came back in alone a few minutes later. I stood my ground near the door that led to the garage.

"Survived that little explosion, did ya?" He asked, his voice was just as hoarse as the other man's.

"Are you going to tell me your name of should I just call you 'man'?" I said with a glare.

"My name's Rick. Rick Matthews." He said, sticking out a hand. I looked at him long and hard.

"Matthews? Like…Two-Bit Matthews?" I asked, clutching the doorknob.

"Who?"

I sighed. "_Keith _Matthews?" I grimaced at the sound of Two-Bit's real name. I liked the name Two-Bit better.

The man chuckled, sitting down in the chair I was just in. "Yep. That's my nephew." he said, and I looked at him incredulously. "I was wrong about you, Alexis."

I froze. "How do you know my name?"

"At first I didn't recognize you. But when I ran into Rex at the store yesterday, he told me about ya, Alexis. Alexis Renee Davenport. I knew your parents." I bit my bottom lip hard. No one ever dared talk about my parents near me. They died a year ago, and I had the hardest time coping with it.

"I go by Lexi," I said softly. "How come you tried to hurt me, if you knew who I was?"

"That's all Bill," Rick said. "He's all worked up about his nephew, Tony, bein' in the hospital. Blamin' you and everything."

Tony. One of Dale's friends. Everything was too much to handle. I couldn't think straight anymore. _He _knew _my _parents.

When I didn't say anything, Rick continued. "Well, we ain't gunna hurt you no more. I have somethin' to give you, actually. A letter from your mother." He said, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. "She gave it to me to give you, before she got shot."

I remembered how my parents died. I could remember every detail. We were at the bank, getting some money out of my parent's savings account before we went to the pet store to get a dog. A group of men came in with masks on, holding guns and telling everyone to give them all their money. We all hid, and Rex dragged me into a closet with him to hide. My parents were left outside. They wouldn't give up their money; they said they really needed it in hopes of being let go. The excuse didn't work, though. Within an hour, the men had killed every person they could find. Rex and I stayed in the closet, and he held me under his arm tightly until the police found us. I had my eyes shut, trying to pretend everything had just been a dream. But when we walked through the bank to reach the doors, I saw my parents lying on the ground in a puddle of blood. Rick must've been at the bank that day too.

I cautiously walked up to him and grabbed the paper, unfolding it slowly.

"I'll let you read it yourself," Rick said, standing up from his seat. "Gotta go get the car fixed. I'll keep in touch, Alexis."

Once he was out the door, I began to read.

_Dear Lexi,_

_I don't have time to write all I want to say, but I want you to know that whatever happens, everything will be alright. You have Dallas and Rex and the whole gang to watch after you. Tell Rex I love him, I think he doubts me after the spat we had earlier. I love you more than anything. No matter where I am. I'll always be in your heart. Why? Because you're my little angel. Daddy and I will always look after you and I hope you know that. If I were to die today, I'd want you to know that. Don't take it too hard. I don't want you hurting yourself. Tell Rex that he'll always be the big superhero he always wanted to be when he was little. You guys will get that horse you always wanted one day. I believe in you guys, and so does Dad._

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad._

I read over the letter 5 or 6 more times. When I finally processed the whole thing through my head, I broke down into tears. My mom must've known she was going to die, right then and there. I wondered how she would've known that Rick would give the letter to us. I flipped over the piece of paper and saw that it was just a check she used to write on.

I let the tears keep coming, sitting in the corner of the shop, defenseless.

The bell on the door dinged again and someone came in.

"Lexi? What's wrong?" I heard Sodapop's voice as he ran over to me. He must've had a later shift today. I didn't say anything.

"Lexi? Lexi?" Soda protectively wrapped his arms around me, and I cried into this chest. He noticed the letter in my hand, taking it carefully and reading it once.

"Oh, Lexi, it'll be alright…" He said, rubbing my back with one hand. I managed to calm myself down so I could talk.

"She knew they were going to die." I took a deep breath, shuddering.

"I know, I know." Sodapop said sympathetically, sighing and resting his head against the wall. Sodapop knew what I was going through more than anyone. The Curtis boys lost their parents, too.

After a long silence, all the tears came back again and I started sobbing. All I could think about were my parents now, the two people my thoughts had been avoiding all that time.

The bell on the door dinged again and I looked up. Dallas and Steve walked in, Steve wiping his hands on a dirty rag.

"What happened?" Dally asked, coming closer with Steve. Sodapop gave them the letter. I wiped my eyes on Soda's shirt and buried my face in his chest.

"Oh," Steve and Dally said.

"I'll take her home," Dally said, and suddenly I felt two strong arms pick me up. I rubbed my eyes, but kept them closed.

xxxxx

I must've fallen asleep again, because I woke up on my couch, with Sodapop and Dally staring at me.

"Where's my letter?" I said instinctively. Dally handed me the folded piece of paper and I clutched it in my hand.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sodapop asked me, worry all over his face.

"I guess," I mumbled, sinking into the couch even more.

Sodapop glanced back at Dally, then looked at the clock. "I gotta go home, it's my turn to make dinner tonight. I'll come by later," He said, standing up and patting Dally on the shoulder before he left.

Once he was gone, Dally spoke.

"You must feel upset right now," he said.

"You think? I just miss them. More than anything," I said, fighting back tears.

Dallas looked me straight in the eye. "Hey, you always got me."

I smiled weakly. "Thanks," I whispered, and sat up. Dally sat on the couch next to me with an around my waist. I settled against his chest and looked up at him.

"You'll always be my best friend, Dallas Winston."

Dally grinned back at me, settling into the couch.

"Lexi? I'm home!" I turned around to see Rex walking through the front door.

I ran towards him and hugged him tightly. "What's wrong?" He whispered in my ear.

I handed him the letter that Rick gave me earlier. After he read it, he looked pale. He gathered me up into a hug and I fought back tears once again.

"Where have you been?" I asked, "Steve told me he hasn't seen you at the DX."

"I've been working on a surprise for you." Rex said, and I glanced back at Dally, who was listening.

"Wanna see it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow; he was trying to lighten the mood.

I nodded, looking back. "Can Dally come?" Rex nodded, and I went back to the couch to take Dally's hand and drag him with me.

Rex led us to his car and we sat in the backseat while he drove. When we came to our destination, Rex stopped.

"We're here," He said, and I looked up at the familiar place in front of us.

"Rex? What are we doing here…?" I asked. Dally squeezed my hand lightly, recognizing the place also.

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	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMERDISCLAIMER.

**Chapter 6**

Rex pulled up to a barn that he, Dally, and I visited when we first moved here. There was one particular horse there that I always wanted to own, his name was Flash. The owner of the barn said that no one owned Flash because he was too rough with people. He'd caused 5 different people to break a bone. When I first met Flash, though, he was sweet. The owner said that I was the only one Flash liked.

Rex got us out of the car and pulled me by the arm. Dally intertwined his fingers with mine as I pulled him along behind me. I couldn't believe what was happening. Rex led me out to Flash's stall, which now had a piece of paper taped to it like the others.

_Flash, Quarter Horse_

_Owner: Alexis Davenport_

I read the sign in shock, then grinned so wide that I was surprised it still fit on my face.

"Rex, Thank you so much!" I said, hugging him so tightly he couldn't breathe.

"No problem, Kid." Rex said in my ear, hugging me back.

Once I finally let go, I opened the stall and came towards Flash. "Hey buddy," I said softly, "Remember me?"

Flash let out a happy snort and rubbed his nose on my shoulder. I laughed, patting him on the neck.

"I got you a saddle and everything else you need," Rex said, pointing to an open tack room.

I ran inside the small room, and found a saddle that had "Flash" engraved on one end. There was a matching bridle, too. I was so happy I could've just exploded. Rex entered the room, smiling and leaning in the door way.

"Like your surprise?" Rex asked, beaming at me.

"I love it, Rex. You have no idea how much this means to me." I pulled him into another hug, squeezing him tighter than before.

I looked around the tack room and found a trunk labeled "Lexi Davenport" and opened it slowly. Inside were a pair of breaches, some boots, and everything I needed to take care of Flash.

I turned back and smiled. "Thank you," I whispered to Rex, and he smiled back.

Finally coming to the decision not to ride today, I exited the tack room to find Dally watching Flash run around his stall. I grinned, standing next to him.

"Isn't he beautiful?" I asked, looking at Dally. He gave me a sideways glance.

"Yes," He said, "Just like you."

I smiled and looked down at my feet.

"Come on! We gotta get home before dark," Rex called, already walking back to the car.

I grabbed Dally's hand and ran back to the truck, climbing into the backseat. "Can you drop us off at Sodapop's house?" I asked Rex, and he nodded.

After the short ride, we arrived. I hopped out of the car and Dally followed. Rex drove off with a wave, and I headed towards the front gate. Dally grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. I stared up into his eyes. He was giving me a kind of look as if he were deciding something. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, and I felt...happy.

When we finally pulled apart, I looked at Dally. He looked at me back, and we both had the same expression on our faces: blank. My expression soon changed when I remembered I had to tell Soda about Flash, and I grinned and ran inside. Dally came in a few seconds after me, leaning in the doorway.

"Sodapop!" I yelled, running towards him on the couch. I jumped onto his lap and gave him a hug. "Guess what?!"

"What?" Sodapop asked, laughing.

"Rex bought me a horse," I said, grinning. "His name's Flash."

"Really?!" Soda said, eyes widening. "That's great! When do we get to see him?"

"Tomorrow," I said, after thinking for a second. "You can come to the barn during your break!"

I slid off Sodapop's lap as he went to go finish dinner. "You guys staying to eat?" Sodapop asked from the kitchen.

"Sure," Dally said, still in the doorway. I watched him slip outside, and I followed.

"You seem quiet," I said, following Dally as he walked around to the side of the house.

"Just thinking," Dally sighed, leaning against the house.

"About what?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Sylvia," I grimaced at the name, "Me, and you."

"Why?" I sat down on the tall grass, leaning against the fence. Dally sat down across from me, against the house.

"Don't know." He said, pulling out a cigarette. "I got a question for you."

"Shoot."

"How come you don't like Sylvia? And how come whenever I'm with her you act like you hate me?" He said, lighting his cigarette and glancing at me. "Be honest."

I bit my lip. I didn't really want to lie. I wanted to tell Dally that I had feelings for him, and that I was jealous of any girl he dated. I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud.

"I'm jealous of her," I finally said, my heart pounding in expectation as to what he would say.

"And why is that?" He asked, a smile playing along his lips.

"Because I want to be with you," I said, taking in a deep breath. "There. I said it. Happy?"

Dally gave me a raised eyebrow glance.

"Lexi? Dally? Dinner's ready!" I heard Sodapop call from inside the house.

And with that, we went inside.

xxxxx

The next morning, I was at the barn with Flash. There were a few other people there, and I greeted them. A girl named Rose had been really nice to me, showing me around the whole barn. She owned Buster, the horse that lived in the stall right next to Flash. I was putting my saddle on Flash in a crosstie while talking to Rose, when I spotted Dally walking towards us.

"Who's that?" Rose asked, following my gaze.

"My boyfriend," I lied…sort of. I stopped fidgeting with the saddle and ran over to him.

"Hey," He said softly, smiling down at me. "I got something for you."

I raised my eyebrows. "What is it?" I asked, watching him pull out something from his pocket.

"Here," He said, handing me his ring dangling on a necklace. I smiled up at him, putting it on.

I glanced back at Flash to make sure he hadn't run off. When I felt Dally's arms wrap around my waist, I smirked and looked up at him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I brought my lips to his.

Just as the kiss deepened, Flash began making impatient noises. I pulled away, sighing.

"I gotta go," I said, watching Flash for anything sketchy. "I gotta take Flash on our first ride before Sodapop comes to visit."

"I'll see you tonight?" he asked. I nodded and kissed him one last time before walking back up to my brown horse.

"Well, aren't you two adorable?" Rose said, laughing as she got Buster ready for a ride.

I chuckled, "I guess."

Once I hopped on to Flash's back, he began to gallop. "Hey, easy!" I said, pulling on the reins. Flash came down to a walking pace, and we went around the ring a few times.

"Hey, Lexi!" I turned my head to see Rose trotting towards me on Buster.

"Yeah?"

"Let's go on the trail!" she suggested, pointing towards the dirt path leading into some trees.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?" I smiled, trotting down to the beginning of the trail.

Rose and I got our horses to walk down the trail peacefully as we talked.

"So, you go to school?" Rose asked.

"Yep. I'm a senior. How about you?"

"Junior." She said, steadying her horse. "That boyfriend of yours, what's his name?"

"Dallas. Dallas Winston." I said, smiling. "We all call him Dally for short."

Rose nodded. "He's a troublemaker, huh?"

"A little." I laughed. "Hey—what time is it? I gotta meet someone soon."

Rose looked at her watch. "Almost noon," She said. "I have to go, too. My shift starts at noon.

We turned around and walked back to the crossties. When we got there, I hopped off Flash and gave him some carrots. "You were so good today," I said, patting him.

Rose took care of Buster and returned him to his stall, then left. I slowly took off Flash's saddle and put it away, then brushed him. It was hot outside, so I decided to give him a bath.

While I was spraying down Flash, Soda and Steve showed up.

"Lexi!" Steve called from a few feet away.

"Jesus, I'm right here!" I said, pointing the hose at the two of them.

"Hey, hey, we're just here to see your pony," Soda said, raising his hands in defense.

"He's a horse," I said, smiling and scratching Flash behind the ears.

I turned the hose off and quickly dried him. When I was done, I walked Flash back to his stall with Steve and Sodapop.

"Isn't he pretty?" I commented, smiling up at the horse.

"Sure is," Sodapop commented, looking up at Flash proudly.

"Soda, you should come by on your day off and I'll let you ride him."

"Really?"

I nodded.

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	7. Chapter 7

**WOOOO! UPDATE!  
**Kso, just to give you a little info on what's going on, I already have an idea of what I'm going to do with this story. If you have any ideas, I'd be glad to take them! I love getting help sometimes. I'm going to be starting a Twilight fic, so if you don't like Twilight...don't read it? I don't know what to tell you. I'm not one of those obsessive fangirls, if that's what you're thinking. I just love the storyline and stuff.  
Yeah, that's pretty much it. _My Outsiders _is a little bit on hold for now because I have no ideas whatsoever for that story. I don't really like the storyline for that one, so I might just stop it and write another 'Ponyboy love story' If you really want me to continue, though, tell me!  
Alright if you read this far, you might as well read the rest of the chapter. Pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase review. I love feedback.

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders, OLAY!**

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**Chapter 7**

I woke up the next morning in bed with Dally. We hadn't done anything the other night, but Dally had sure tried too. It was Monday, which meant school. After lying in bed and debating whether to go or ditch, I decided to ditch. There was some dumb physics test today anyways. I turned my attention to Dally, who was still asleep.

With an evil grin, I shoved him off the bed.

"What the hell?" He said, waking up once he hit the floor.

"I had to," I laughed.

Dally climbed back in bed and pushed me off my side, grinning at me when I got back up.

I got under the covers, yawning slightly. Dally wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. "I gotta go," He whispered in my ear hesitantly.

"Why?" I pouted, turning to face him.

"I gotta meet up with Sheppard's gang. Settle some stuff out."

I frowned. _Settle some stuff out? _"I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't, you know me," Dally said, grinning at me. I rolled my eyes and he pulled me in for a kiss, deepening it quickly.

xxxxx

"What's this thing?" I asked Sodapop. It was hours after Dally and I had woken up, and I was at the DX.

While sitting on the hood of the car Soda was working on, I examined the tool box carefully.

"That's a wrench," Sodapop said, laughing at me.

"Hey, I knew that." I snorted.

Sodapop slid under the car, holding his hand out. "Pass me the screwdriver?"

I riffled through the box and found what I was looking for. Sighing, I handed it to him. "This is boring."

Sodapop chuckled. "It's called work."

"Well, I don't like it," I said, setting the toolbox next to Soda so I didn't have to help him.

Steve was walking by slowly, wiping the grease off his hands. Hoping to sneak up on him, I stood up on the hood of the car and jumped.

"Steve!" I yelled, landing on his back. He let out a yell, which caused me to laugh.

"Jesus Christ, you scared me!" Steve said, tossing the rag and dropping me off his back while smiling. Sodapop had come out to see what was going on, and even he was grinning.

"Hey!" I said to Steve, then noticed someone walking into the garage and glanced at Sodapop. "Hi, Sandy!"

Sodapop looked up and saw her walking towards him.

"Hiya Sandy," Sodapop said, beaming at his girlfriend.

Steve went back out to the pumps and I walked into the shop, leaving Soda and Sandy some alone time. I found Rex in the shop, lounging in a chair and reading a horse magazine.

"On your break?" I asked him, causing Rex to look up at me.

"Hey!" He said, grinning. Rex was two years older than me. He was nineteen and I was sixteen, turning seventeen in a week. Dally was already seventeen. It was hard to believe we were only teenagers, considering how mature we'd grown.

"What's up?" I asked, sitting on the counter and watching Rex bite into his egg salad sandwich.

"Nothing," He chewed, "Just another day at work."

I nodded, hopping off the counter. "I'm heading home. You need anything?"

Rex shook his head. "No school?"

"There was a test today." I said, flashing him a smile.

Rex just chuckled and I headed into the garage, walking in on a make-out session between Sodapop and Sandy.

"Hey! Quit eating her face and get that car fixed!" I called out, causing them to break apart and Sandy turned red. I laughed, "You've got customers to take care of."

Sodapop chuckled, "I'm on my break."

"Well in that case, I'll be leaving." I said with a smile, stealing Sodapop's sweater off the bench before he could protest. It was cloudy today, and for the first time in a long time, it looked like it would rain.

I pulled it on. It was big on me, and it went down to mid thigh. The sleeves were long too, but that made it comfortable. As I headed down the street, I said my goodbye to Steve and looked up at the sky. It was starting to drizzle.

By the time I got home, it was raining. Not too hard, but enough to get me wet. I stepped inside the house and found Johnny Cade fast asleep on my couch. This didn't surprise me one bit, because he'd slept here before. He once told me that he preferred my couch. It made me feel special.

I sat in the armchair across from him, yawning. His eyes opened slowly, seeing me there for the first time.

"Hey Johnnycake," I said, slumping in the armchair. He sat up, fixing his hair and pulling on his jean jacket.

"Hey Lex," He smiled slightly. "Thanks for the couch."

"No problem, glad you like it." I beamed, and he left. Usually, I would try to keep a conversation going between us, but I just didn't have the effort today. I had gone to bed pretty late.

Dally walked through the door 10 minutes later with only a few cuts on his face."I see you're not dead," I said casually, moving to the couch. Dally sat beside me.

"I'unno, it hurts." I looked up at him; he was smirking. "You might need to kiss it. That might make it feel better." I chuckled and leaned in, pressing my lips to his softly.

Once I pulled away, I gave him a skeptical look. "Better?"

"Well, I think there might be a few bruises over here," He said, running his fingers along his neck. I laughed and shook my head, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Well, if it'll make you feel better, I'll do anything."

He smirked and brought his lips to mine. When I pulled away, I began to kiss down his neck; leaving a small hickey. We had adjusted so that Dally was lying on top of me, kissing me deeply. As my tongue explored his, I began to pull off his shirt, breaking the kiss for a split second so I could throw the shirt to the side. Dally then unbuttoned my shirt, carelessly throwing it with his.

xxxxx

When I woke up, Dally had his arm around my middle and there was a blanket thrown over the two of us. I managed to turn so I was facing him, seeing he was awake too.

"What are you thinking about?" I whispered. It was my favorite question; I loved seeing what was going on in that mind of his, and he only opened up to me.

"You," he whispered back, giving me a genuine smile.

"Well, I'm glad," I said, bringing my lips to his quickly. When I rolled off the couch, I started to pull on my jeans. Dally did the same.

Instead of pulling on my blouse, I pulled on Dally's shirt. He held up my shirt with raised eyebrows. "I'm supposed to wear this?" he asked, smirking at me.

"You know you have, like, 5 shirts in my closet." I said, smiling at him as I plopped onto the couch. He walked into my room and came out a few minutes later wearing a white shirt with his jacket over it and sat down next to me, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"You know what?" He said, turning on the TV as I leaned into his chest.

"What?"

"We should do this more often," He smirked, I just rolled my eyes. Believe it or not, I was tired.

I heard a frantic knock on the door and lazily went to open it, yawning as I did so. When I opened it I saw Two-Bit's face covered with worry; not matching his usual grin. I froze.

"What?"

"Johnny got jumped. He's cut up real bad." Two-Bit said, and I heard Dally get up quickly. My eyes widened at the thought of Johnny lying helplessly on the ground.

"Where is he?" I asked quickly.

"At the field."

Without thinking, I ran past Two-Bit and straight towards the field. I cared about Johnny a lot. Not as much as Dally did, but a whole lot. I could hear Dally and Two-Bit driving behind me, but I didn't bother. I was just angry, headed to help Johnny as soon as I could.

When I got to the field out of breath, I found the gang surrounding Johnny's limp body. Sodapop was holding him, and Ponyboy looked like he'd seen a ghost. Johnny looked horrible; all cut up and bruised. He wasn't even talking, I would've sworn he was dead. Anger kept building up inside me. I heard Dally and Two-Bit come up behind me.

"We're gunna find who did this, Johnnycake. Don't you worry…" Dally said, his fists clenched, and boy, did he look mad. By then I couldn't hold it in anymore, and I just exploded.

"How the fuck do you know that? It could've been anyone! Johnny is bleeding all over the place and you're thinking about finding who the hell did this? What about him?" I yelled, pointing at Johnny. Dally and the rest of the gang looked at me with a surprised look; even Ponyboy. I sighed and stood up, turning to blow off some steam.

Someone must've tried to come with me, because I heard Sodapop stop them and say, "Just let her calm down."

I walked around the perimeter of the field, clenching and unclenching my fists. I had no idea what had gotten into me. When I got to the corner of the field where there were a bunch of bushes, I felt something cold go through my side. I guessed it was a blade, because I yelped and grabbed my side; warm wetness covering my hands. My knees buckled under me and I keeled over, falling to the ground. My vision was getting hazy, and I heard a faraway voice calling my name. It seemed to be getting closer, and someone had propped me up against them. I tried to stay conscious, but I had been losing too much blood.

"Lexi!" I heard Steve yell in my ear, bringing me back to consciousness. I groaned and tried to sit up by myself, but I felt too weak.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer. Disclaimer. Disclaimer here.  
**Excuse any mistakes, though I doubt that I have any. Might be looking for a beta reader. PM me?

K, reviews maybe? That would be helpful :)

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**Chapter 8**

When I finally came around, I expected to be in the white walls of a hospital. Instead, I found myself lying on the Curtis' couch. No one was around; I guessed they were watching after Johnny. I hated myself for getting hurt. Everyone should've been helping Johnny while I was distracting them by bleeding everywhere. I pulled up Dally's shirt and saw that someone had stitched the cut closed. It was big; it ran from a few inches below my armpit to just above my waist.

I stood from the couch and wobbled a bit, but found my balance. I heard Darry, Sodapop, and Ponyboy talking to Johnny in the room that Soda and Pony shared. Walking towards the front door, I spotted the back of Dally's head sitting on the porch. I smiled, but when I stepped outside it quickly faded. He was making out with Sylvia. That little slut.

"Are you serious?" I said, yanking Dally's necklace off my neck and throwing it on the ground. They broke apart and I ran down the steps and out the gate as fast as I could. I held onto my side, afraid it would burst open. Dally was calling my name from the porch, but I kept running until I couldn't hear him. When I was walking again, I headed towards the part. It was a short walk, considering I had ran most of the way.

When I got there, a groomer was trying to get Flash to a crosstie. Flash began bucking angrily and trying to get loose, causing a fuss. Afraid the groomer was going to get hurt, I quickly ran over and grabbed the rope attached the halter.

"Flash, quit it!" I yelled, yanking on the rope as hard as I could. Flash stopped, blowing through his nose impatiently. I patted him on the neck. "Don't you dare do that again, you hear?" I said, giving the groomer the leash. He grabbed it hesitantly, walking towards the crosstie. I watching, making sure he didn't do anything funky.

"You really know how to control them horses."

I was startled by the voice and turned around to see a man I didn't recognize.

"I guess so," I said with a proud smile. The man held out a hand.

"I'm Jim McArthur, owner of the McArthur racetrack," He said, and I shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you; I'm Lexi Davenport…owner of Flash, the psycho horse." I said, and he chuckled.

"Listen, if ya ever wanna come by and join a few races, jus' gimme a call," He handed me a card. "Anyone who can tame a while horse and sure race one."

I took the card and smiled. "Thank you. I'll consider it." I began to walk towards Flash's stall. "It was nice meeting you!"

He nodded and walked away. Once I stepped into the empty stall, I scooped up all the poop left behind. Then I hosed down the whole area, leaving the dirt nice and soft.

After I was satisfied with my work, I put my things away and began to walk home. Dally pulled up beside me in Buck's car and drove slowly as I walked.

"Lexi," He said, trying to get my attention. It was starting to rain and all I could think of was if Flash would stay dry. I didn't want him to freak out. Dally's voice broke through my thoughts. "Get in the car."

"Not with you," My voice was shaky. I crossed my arms as my hair got more and more wet.

"Come on, you'll get sick."

"Like you give a shit," I snorted, stopping and crossing the street. Dally and his car followed.

"I do give a shit, kid. Why the hell wouldn't I?" I stopped in my tracks and so did Dally. I let a few tears escape, then turned to face him.

"You know better than to call me 'kid'" I scowled, then muttered, "Just leave me alone. You've already done enough."

Anger was building up inside me; anger and sadness. We were passing the Curtis home now; they lived just down the street from me, so I passed their house every time I went home.

"Lexi, don't be like this." Dally said in an exasperated voice. I bit my lip and turned to him angrily.

"Like what? Don't you get it? I'm in love with you, Dallas Winston! I always have been! But I guess you never seemed to notice, you were too busy having sex and swapping spit with girls you don't even know!" I let it all out. I couldn't believe what I was saying. Shock was all over Dally's face. He just drove off, not saying anything.

I let out my tears and fell onto my knees. The rain was pouring down harder and harder, leaving my clothes drenched. When I felt someone wrap their arms around me and pull me up, I stopped crying.

"Let's get you inside," I heard Steve's voice in my ear. Sodapop was on the other side of me, holding me by the elbow.

I didn't say anything, just sniffled and walked with them towards the warm Curtis home. They set me on the couch, wrapping a towel around me. I stared ahead numbly, thinking of what just happened. I was still wearing Dally's shirt. Part of me wanted to tear it apart, and another part of me wanted to keep it.

"Lexi?" Sodapop asked, staring at me worriedly. "You okay?"

"You heard everything, didn't you?" My voice was hoarse.

He nodded. I continued to stare blankly straight ahead and nodded slowly.

"It's alright, Dally just doesn't get it," Sodapop said.

"I hate him," I murmured, staring at the ground,

"No you don't. You said so yourself," Sodapop's eyebrows rose. I stood from the couch, handing him the towel.

"I'm going home, I can't think straight," I mumbled an excuse and left, running down the street to my house.

When I got inside, Rex was sitting on the couch for once. He noticed my red eyes and stood up.

"What? No girlfriend today?" I mumbled between sniffles.

"What happened?" He ignored my comment and pulled me into a hug. I almost started crying again. I had no idea why I had this sudden, reoccurring trend of crying so much.

"I'm in love with Dallas Winston," I mumbled blankly.

There was a long silence and Rex said, "I know."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own S.E. Hinton's marvelous work.  
**This chapter is a little happier. Yay for happiness!  
Reviews = happiness? Yeah. I think so.

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**Chapter 9**

_"Mom, we're going outside!" I yelled back into the house, following Dally into the backyard. Momma was inside baking a birthday cake for Daddy. _

_"Alright sweetie," She called back, laughing._

_Daddy and Dally's Dad (As we liked to call him) Uncle Frank, were sitting on a bench on the far end of the backyard. Daddy stood up and I ran towards him. When I got to him I was already having a giggle fit, and Daddy scooped me up and spun me around. Dally ran up behind me and grabbed my hand, taking me to our tree house in our mini-forest. We had a pretty big backyard like most did, living in the farther parts of New York._

_"Dally! Truth or Dare," I asked as we climbed up the ladder to the wooden playhouse. A seven-year-old Dally looked back at me._

_"Dare."_

_"I dare you to kiss me," I said, giggling as we plopped onto the ground at the top of the ladder._

_"Okay," He said, smiling and leaning towards me. I giggled and moved away, and he followed. Soon it turned into a game. Dally chased me and I ran._

_"Kids! Cake's ready!" I heard Momma yell from inside the house. Dally and I exchanged looks._

_"Coming!" We said, and giggled as we raced back to the house. _

xxxxx

I woke up in the middle of the night for no reason. I glared at the clock; it read 1:02 AM. Plopping back into my bed and yawning, I managed to get myself to fall asleep again.

xxxxx

_"Dally!"I yelled between laughs. "Quit it!" _

_Dally and I, two nine year olds with nothing better to do, were in my backyard on a Saturday morning. Dally was sitting on top me of, tickling me until I almost peed my pants and couldn't breathe._

_When Dally finally let up and lay on the grass next to me, we watched the clouds with pure amusement. _

_"That one looks like you," I said, giggling at the white blob floating through the sky._

_"Yeah? Well that one looks like you," He said, pointing to one that looked like an oval._

_"Lexi?" I heard Momma call from inside the house. "Can you come in here for a minute?"_

_"Sure," I said and stood up. Dally stayed on the ground. "I'll be right back."_

_When I got inside I saw Uncle Frank sitting on the couch with nothing but a blank look on his face. Not his usual smile or laugh. _

_"What is it?" I asked curiously, sitting on the couch._

_"Lexi, we have some bad news." Momma said, and I nodded slowly. "Dally's Momma died this morning in a plane crash."_

_I froze. Glancing back at the door that led to the backyard, thinking of what Dally would do._

_"You alright, kid?" Uncle Frank asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."_

_I shook my head just as Dally came in._

_"What's going on?" He asked as he set down the ball we were playing with. I sunk into the couch and said nothing. _

_"Dally, why don't you sit down…" Momma said, and that's when everything changed. Dally was never the same and neither was Uncle Frank._

xxxxx

"Lexi! Wake up! It's your birthday!" I heard Rex yell happily in my ear.

"Huh?" I mumbled, rolling over and opening my eyes to find Rex in my face. He smiled and held up a present.

I sat up and looked at him skeptically. "Present?" I said aloud.

"Open it! I have to get to work soon!" Rex said with a grin.

I carefully undid the bow and tore the paper, afraid of what would be inside. There was a box with a card on top. Inside the card read;

_Dear Lexi,_

_Happy Birthday kid! You're the best sister ever._

_-Rex_

I smiled and opened the box. Inside was a silver bracelet. It was plain silver, but something about it made me absolutely love it.

"Aw, thanks. You didn't have to," I said, giving him a hug. He smiled and hugged back.

"No problem," He said, and then stood up. "Well, I'm leaving. Have fun today, alright?"

I nodded and sunk back into bed. Once I was sure Rex was gone, I reached into my drawer and pulled out the letter Rick Matthews gave me. It no longer made me cry, just gave me the chills.

When I first unfolded it something sparked in my mind. I quickly pulled out the card from Rex and opened it up. As I examined both the letters, I noticed that the handwriting looked exactly the same. I couldn't believe it. Either Mom and Rex had the same handwriting, or Rex wrote both.

Quickly changing into an outfit for the day, I ran to the DX.

"Hey Lex, happy birthday!" Steve yelled, running up to me and giving me a hug topped with a spin. I smiled.

"Thanks Steve," I said and glanced around. "Do you know where Rex is?"

"Yeah, he's in the garage with Soda."

"Thanks," I gave him a hug and ran into the garage.

"Rex," I said breathlessly, Rex and Sodapop both looked up at me.

"Yeah?" He said.

"How could you?" I asked, holding up both items. "You wrote that letter from Mom, didn't you?"

Rex didn't say anything; he just sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I can't believe you would do that, Rex! You know how I feel about Mom and Dad being—" I hesitated. "…dead."

Throwing both papers on the ground, I stormed out of the garage. I didn't care if I never spoke to Rex again. He was a horrible person to do that to me. Everyone seemed horrible lately. Dally, Rex, who was going to be next?

xxxxx

When I finally got home I was exhausted. I was about to walk up the porch steps when I spotted a familiar car parked on the curb. Buck's T-bird. Sitting on the porch was Dally, the person I'd been avoiding all this time. The person who'd been in my dreams every night, reoccurring flashbacks at our childhood.

Once Dally spotted me he stood up. I backed away a few steps and looked at him cautiously.

"What do you want?" I whispered, my mind still on Rex and the letter.

Dally came closer only this time I didn't move. He took my hand and looked at me oddly. "Look, Lex…" He began, but I looked away.

"Don't, Dal." I said, never meeting his gaze.

"Fine. You want me to just say it?" He said, and I looked at him questioningly. He let out a sort of chuckle and interlaced out fingers. "I love you, Lexi. Hell, it might've taken me a while to realize it, but I'm sure now."

I looked away again. Dally lifted my chin so I was facing him and pulled me in for a kiss, but I pulled away.

"How can I trust you, Dally?" I asked, my eyes pleading. I really wanted to trust him. I really did. Dally sighed and took a step back.

"Come with me," He said, and took my hand. Pulling me into his car, we sat silent as he drove.

"Where are you taking me?" I finally asked.

"New York," Dally said as if there were not a doubt in his mind.

"What?!" I said, stiffening. I never wanted to go back there, even if it did contain all of my childhood. Dally and I had gotten into a murder rap and the fuzz might still be out there. "You can't. What if someone recognizes us?"

"They won't, that's old news." Dally said with a smirk. There was no way I was going to win this argument.

"Why? Why are you taking me back there?" I asked.

"It's sort of like a birthday present; and maybe you'll trust me afterwards," Dally said and drove on.

We went to the airport and got on a plane. I was starting to dread airports. They were horrible places.


	10. NEWS

**Alright guys, so I updated! But instead of putting Chapter 10 here where it's supposed to be, it's going in place of chapter 11. ONLY because if I didn't do so then it would not show up as updated. So thanks for bearing with me you guys, enjoy, and don't forget to review!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Soooooooooo sorry for the late update! I've been really busy. Hope you guys haven't given up hope on me yet. So here you go! Reviews are highly appreciated.**

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**Chapter 10**

"Attention passengers, our flight will be landing shortly. Please fasten your seat belts and prepare to land." I rolled my eyes at the flight attendant's voice over the loudspeaker.

"What the hell do you think you're going to do when we actually land?" I asked, turning to Dally.

"You'll see," He smirked.

"No, I won't." I was getting annoyed now. This was _my _birthday. I deserved to know what was going on. "Where are we going?"

Dally and I stared into each others eyes for a moment, and then he spoke. "Home."

* * *

I was silent the whole ride there. Dallas Winston had brought me to New York on my birthday without even asking me. He had brought me to possibly the most dangerous place in the United States; just so we could see the home in which we grew up.

This was bullshit.

My annoyance level was high as I tried replaying what had happened on the porch this morning. Dally had told me he loved me. My stomach did a flip and I glanced at him, taking in his profile. He caught me looking at him and smirked, picking up my hand and mindlessly playing with my fingers.

I smiled slightly, looking down at our hands.

The cab lurched to a stop and Dally handed the man some money. Where he was getting all this money, I had no idea.

I was quickly pulled out of the cab and instantly recognized where we were. I looked up and down the familiar street, staring at all the houses I had grown up around.

I spotted little old Mrs. Fern, who was watering her plants in her garden. She didn't notice me or Dally.

Dally began pulling me along the sidewalk as I looked around with curiosity. He finally stopped in front of the most familiar house of all.

Mine.

I suddenly took in a deep breath and dropped Dally's hand. "I can't do this."

Dally looked at me strangely. "Why not?"

"I just can't, okay? You don't know how shitty this birthday has been." I said, thinking back to Rex and the letter. "When I look at this house, all I can think about is my parents. Us…as kids. And Rex. When we actually got along and he actually spent time with me."

I felt tears prick in my eyes but I quickly pushed them aside, not wanting to cry in front of Dally again.

What Dallas Winston did next shocked me the most.

He gently pulled me into an embrace, whispering in my ear. "We don't have to go in if you don't want to."

He then kissed my temple and pulled away slightly to see my face.

"I don't want to go in…" I whispered, my bottom lip quivering. Dally slowly took my hand and laced his fingers with mine, pulling me along the sidewalk even further. I took one last look at the house. It was blue, two stories high, and deserted. It didn't seem like anyone had set foot on the land since they left.

I vaguely remembered a time when Rex and I had done laps around the whole house, racing to see who would finish first. I ended up tripping over an overgrown weed and scraping both knees, crying until Rex found me and carried me into the house, where my mom gave me a glass of chocolate milk and some band aids.

A single tear slid down my cheek as I looked away.

"Well, if it isn't Dallas Winston."

Suddenly, Dally stopped and I ran into his back. I groaned and looked over his shoulder, stiffening when I saw who was talking to us.

Felix Hudson was a true gang member here. Brutal, unforgiving, and most of all, friends with the man who was killed in the murder Dally and I were involved in.

I knew this would happen. I just knew it. On my birthday, of all days. Dally really did it this time.

"Why the hell'd you two come back here anyways? To finally get what you deserve?" Felix chuckled slightly, stepping closer.

Dally blocked me with his own body as I tried to face Felix. "No, we didn't. We were just leaving, actually." I said dryly, glaring at the man.

"You stay out of this," Dally whispered harshly to me, blocking me even more.

"Yeah, keep your bitch quiet. Maybe then she won't make as much noise when I shoot the both of you." He pulled out a gun and pointed it at us. I noticed three more members of his gang approaching from down the street.

"Jerk," I jeered. Felix raised his eyebrows.

Silently, he pulled the trigger and a gunshot filled my ears.

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**Sorry it's so short! I really wanted to update quickly. I also apologize for any spelling/grammar mistakes I've made. Once again, I wanted to update quickly.**

**New chapter will be up soon. Reviews? :)  
**


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